The Cunard 2028-29 voyages number 93, and the headline is a figure from the line's own history: Queen Mary 2's 500th Transatlantic Crossing. No departure date for that crossing has been published, so the first decision is when to look, not what to book.
Sources and facts checked: October 31, 2026 (America/New_York). Booking dates, savings deadlines and voyage details change. Check and verify with Cunard for your market before you book.
The line published the program on October 21, 2026. Here is what it says, with sources, and the points where reports differ.
The short answer
Cunard announced 93 voyages for October 2028 to May 2029 on October 21, 2026. The centerpiece is Queen Mary 2's 500th Transatlantic Crossing, a 21-night roundtrip from New York that can also be joined in Hamburg, Southampton or Liverpool. World Club early access opens November 3, 2026. Sources differ on the savings deadline, so confirm it for your market.
The Cunard 2028-29 voyages, in numbers
The release supplies the figures. The 93 voyages visit 104 destinations in 49 countries, including 64 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Guests average 12 hours in port, with 18 overnight port calls and 18 late-evening departures.
Every ship in the fleet sails the program: Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne, the last of which has been in service since May 2024. These are the line's own counts. The method behind the 12-hour average is not published.
What the 500th crossing is
The program culminates in Queen Mary 2's 500th Transatlantic Crossing. Cunard describes it as a 21-night roundtrip voyage from New York. Cunard President Paul Ludlow called it "one of the most significant moments in Cunard's modern history," according to Cruise Industry News.
No date appears in the release or the trade coverage for the crossing. Cunard's own sailing list is the only place that will carry it.
Queen Mary 2 also has Caribbean voyages from Southampton and New York, with overnights in Bridgetown, Barbados, and Philipsburg, St Maarten. There is a 14-night Norway and Northern Lights itinerary and a 14-night Western Mediterranean voyage, which can be booked as a 29-night roundtrip from New York.
Why Liverpool matters for the 500th
You can also embark in Hamburg, Southampton and Liverpool. Cunard says it is the first time since 2015 that guests can depart Liverpool on a Cunard Transatlantic Crossing.
This article uses the release wording. Per-port boarding dates have not been published, so a Liverpool plan is a plan for a date you do not yet have.
Queen Victoria from Southampton
Queen Victoria sails from Southampton to Scandinavia, Northern Europe, the Norwegian fjords, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and the Canary Islands, with new seven-, 14- and 16-night voyages named in the release, plus two seven-night spring voyages to Spain and France and to the Norwegian fjords.
A February sailing overnights in Oslo, and a longer Scandinavian voyage overnights in both Copenhagen and Oslo. For a reader who values evenings ashore over port counts, those overnights are the detail that separates one itinerary from another.
Queen Elizabeth and the World Voyage
Queen Elizabeth sails from Barcelona to Miami, then operates four 14-night Caribbean voyages from Miami. They include Thanksgiving and Christmas sailings and a New Year's Eve voyage with fireworks at St Thomas.
The World Voyage is listed as 115 nights, roundtrip from Southampton and Miami, covering five continents. Cunard says it returns to New Zealand for the first time in four years, calling at Auckland and Wellington. Overnights include Cape Town, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney. Queen Elizabeth carries 2,074 passengers, per the release.
Queen Anne heads to South America
Queen Anne has an 86-night South America Discovery voyage from Southampton in 2029. You can also join in Hamburg for a 90-night version, or take a 60-night roundtrip from Miami.
That route pairs Caribbean calls with Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. It includes an overnight in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival, and overnights in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Valparaiso and Callao. For the ship's wider plans, see our piece on Queen Anne and Cunard.
Seven first-time port calls
Seven maiden port calls are listed. Praia, Cape Verde, is a first visit for the line, on the Queen Anne and Queen Elizabeth itineraries. Queen Elizabeth adds Fort-de-France, Martinique, and Nawiliwili, Hawaii.
Queen Anne adds San Juan, Puerto Rico; St Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Castries, St Lucia; and Colón, Panama. A first call is the line's claim about its own history. It says nothing about shore facilities, which you should research port by port.
The booking calendar, dated
Cunard World Club members get early access to bookings from 9 a.m. EST on November 3, 2026. General sale opens from 9 a.m. EST on November 4, 2026. Both times come from the PR Newswire release of October 21, 2026.
Convert the time zone before you set an alarm. The head start is one day long.
Which savings deadline applies?
Sources differ. Cunard's release on PR Newswire states: "Guests booking by December 16, 2026, enjoy 10% introductory savings when booking Cunard Fare." Cruise Industry News reported a 10% early booking saving for bookings before midnight on December 30, 2026, on a Cunard Fare, or an Early Saver Fare where available. Travel Extra, an Irish outlet, also reported December 30.
The sources opened do not explain the difference. December 16 is the date in Cunard's PR Newswire release. Confirm yours with Cunard.
What to skip: assumed dates
Plans built on an assumed date fail first. The release gives the program window, October 2028 to May 2029, not the departure dates of individual voyages. It does not publish fares.
Also skip any claim that the 10% saving applies to every voyage. Cruise Industry News describes it as applying to a Cunard Fare on eligible voyages, with an Early Saver Fare where available; Travel Extra says eligible fares.
Devil's advocate: wait for the fares
A reasonable reader will say that an announcement is not a price, and that committing before November 4 means buying from a brochure. Fair. Fares and cabin availability appear only when sales open, and a deposit on a sailing you have not priced is a bet, not a plan.
The counter is the calendar. The introductory saving has a deadline, and no fare is public yet. Set a budget before November 3, then let the posted fare decide.
The OTGG bottom line
The 500th Crossing is a real milestone and a long wait: no date is published and no fare is public. Watch November 3 and 4, confirm the savings deadline for your market, and decide on the voyage page, not the headline.
Verify before you pay
Are the departure date and port confirmed with Cunard?
Confirm the departure date and embarkation port for any voyage on Cunard's own sailing list.
Which savings deadline applies to you?
Check which savings deadline applies in your market, and which fares it covers.
What does each cabin category include?
Ask the line what each cabin category includes before you compare fares.
Have you read the deposit and cancellation terms?
Read the deposit and cancellation terms for your sailing before paying.
Are passports and entry rules checked for every country?
Check passport validity and entry rules for every country on the itinerary.
Have you told Cunard about access or medical needs?
If you have access or medical needs, tell Cunard in writing before booking and keep the reply.
More in our adults-only and luxury cruising guide, Cunard 2027 World Voyages and Queen Anne and Cunard in 2029.
Frequently asked
When can I book Cunard's 2028-29 voyages?
Cunard World Club members have early access from 9 a.m. EST on November 3, 2026, according to the PR Newswire release. General sale opens from 9 a.m. EST on November 4, 2026. Confirm the time for your market on cunard.com.
How many voyages are in the program?
In the line's release, 93 voyages sail between October 2028 and May 2029. They visit 104 destinations in 49 countries, including 64 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. All four ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Anne, are included.
Can I board the 500th Crossing in Liverpool?
Yes, according to the release: guests can embark in New York, Hamburg, Southampton or Liverpool. Cunard calls Liverpool the first Cunard Transatlantic Crossing departure from the city since 2015. Boarding dates for each port have not been published, so check the voyage page when sailings open.
What is the 10% introductory saving?
The PR Newswire release says guests booking by December 16, 2026 get 10% introductory savings on Cunard Fare. Cruise Industry News reported a December 30, 2026 deadline for a 10% early booking saving. Check the date and the terms for your market before you rely on either.
Is there a World Voyage in this program?
Yes. Queen Elizabeth sails a World Voyage listed as 115 nights, roundtrip from Southampton and Miami. It covers five continents and includes overnights in Cape Town, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney. It also returns to New Zealand for the first time in four years.
Sources and facts checked: October 31, 2026 (America/New_York). Cunard's release on PR Newswire, Cruise Industry News and Travel Extra were reviewed on the date shown.
Sources
- prnewswire.com — PR Newswire (Cunard), Queen Mary 2 to Make History in Liverpool on Landmark 500th Transatlantic Crossing as Cunard Unveils 93 New Voyages ↗
- cruiseindustrynews.com — Cruise Industry News, QM2's 500th Trans-Atlantic Crossing Highlights Cunard's 2028-29 Season ↗
- travelextra.ie — Travel Extra, report on Cunard's 2028/29 winter season ↗
Photographs. The ocean liner Queen Mary 2 in Hamburg harbor at sunrise — Wolfgang Weiser, Pexels Cropped and resized for the web; not otherwise altered. Neither the photographers nor the licensors endorse this article.
This article is general information, not financial or travel-insurance advice. OTGG is an independent travel advisor; this article contains no affiliate links. Cruise line and supplier policies, rates, promotions, inclusions, accessibility procedures and deposit schedules change — verify all details with the operator or an accredited travel advisor before booking or payment.
Eyeing the 500th crossing?
Tell me your dates and cabin. I will watch the November 3 and 4 openings and check which savings deadline applies before you pay a deposit.
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